Moving body

ABSTRACT

A moving body, such as a vehicle, having one or more fuel cells mounted thereon. The fuel cells, which power the moving body, generate electricity and release water as a by-product. Accordingly, the moving body includes a water discharge module that releases water produced by the fuel cells to the atmosphere using a water outlet. The water outlet may be located in a front section of the moving body. The moving body may further include a water tank that temporarily stores water before releasing the water to the atmosphere.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 12/683,643 filed 7 Jan. 2010,which is a division of application Ser. No. 10/569,450 filed 24 Feb.2006, which is a 371 national phase application of PCT/JP2004/011868filed 12 Aug. 2004, claiming priority to Japanese Patent ApplicationsNo. 2003-301311 filed 26 Aug. 2003, No. 2003-366502 filed 27 Oct. 2003,and No. 2004-154091 filed 25 May 2004, the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a moving body. Specifically, theinvention relates to a moving body with fuel cells that are mountedthereon as a power source and generate electric power with production ofwater as a by-product

BACKGROUND ART

One example of proposed moving bodies is a motorcycle that releaseswater produced by fuel sells on the side of the vehicle (see, forexample, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. 2001-313056). Release ofthe water produced by the fuel cells on the side of the vehicle preventspotential troubles caused by splash of the water on wheels, for example,a skid of the wheels.

A proposed technique to reduce the concentration of remaining hydrogencontained in exhaust gas from the fuel cells provides a baffle plate inthe vicinity of an outlet of an exhaust pipe to accelerate diffusion ofthe exhaust gas (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No.2002-289237). Various techniques may be applied to release of water. Forexample, the water may be released with exhaust gas through an exhaustconduit or may be released from the bottom of the vehicle after gasliquid separation in a gas-liquid separator.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

As described above, the vehicle with fuel cells mounted thereon requiresrelease of water, which is produced by the fuel cells, out of thevehicle during a run. Even when the water is released in such a mannerthat does not wet wheels to avoid a potential skid, the released watermay cause some troubles on subsequent and nearby vehicles. For example,the released water may be swirled on and scattered by the vehicle windand be splashed on the front glass of a subsequent vehicle. The releaseof the water in a lateral direction, however, may cause the releasedwater to swash on a pedestrian on the road shoulder or a nearbybuilding.

The object of the present invention is to provide a moving body whichrestrains potential disadvantage of making the released water, which isreleased from the fuel cells of the moving body, swirled and scattered.The object of the invention is also to provide a moving body whichrestrains potential disadvantage of making the released water splash onany pedestrians and nearby buildings. The object of the invention isalso to provide a moving body which restrains potential effect of thereleased water in a lateral direction or backward of the moving body.

In order to achieve at least part of the aforementioned objects, themoving body of the present invention is constructed as follows.

A first moving body of the present invention is a moving body with fuelcells that are mounted thereon as a power source and generate electricpower with production of water as a by-product, the moving bodyincluding a water discharge module that releases water produced by thefuel cells from a water outlet located in a front section of the movingbody to the atmosphere.

In the first moving body of the invention, the water produced by thefuel cells is released from the water outlet located in the frontsection of the moving body to the atmosphere. This arrangement desirablyreduces splash of the released water in a lateral direction or backwardof the moving body by the effects of the air flow caused by motion ofthe moving body. Here the terminology ‘moving body’ includes any groundmoving body, for example, an automobile, a train, or any of othervarious vehicles. The moving body may have other power sources, such asa secondary battery and a capacitor, in addition to the fuel cells.

In one preferable application of the invention, the first moving body isa vehicle, and the water outlet is located at either of a bumper and afender in a front section of the vehicle. The water is thus releasedfrom the position of the front bumper or the front fender.

In this application of the invention where the water outlet is locatedat either the bumper or the fender in the front section of the vehicle,it is preferable that the water outlet is located ahead of a front wheelof the vehicle. The vicinity of the wheel has little potential effectsof the vehicle wind caused by a run of the vehicle. This arrangementthus effectively restrains scatter of the water.

In one preferable embodiment of this application of the invention wherethe water outlet is located at either the bumper or the fender in thefront section of the vehicle, the first moving body further includes awater tank that is located in the front section of the vehicle totemporarily keep the water accumulated therein and is arranged in apathway from the fuel cells to the water outlet for releasing the waterto the atmosphere. The water is temporarily accumulated in the watertank, for example, to be released at a stop of the vehicle or to bereleased at a fixed rate. This arrangement effectively reduces splash ofthe water in the lateral direction or backward of the vehicle, comparedwith the structure without such function of water accumulation. In thisembodiment of the invention, the water tank may be located inside thebumper of the vehicle. This allows for effective use of the inside spaceof the bumper. The water tank may alternatively be located ahead of thewater outlet. This saves the required space for piping from the watertank to the water outlet.

A second moving body of the present invention is a moving body with fuelcells that are mounted thereon as a power source and generate electricpower with production of water as a by-product, the moving bodyincluding: a water discharge module that releases water produced by thefuel cells from a water outlet to the atmosphere; and an air flowregulation module that regulates an air flow caused by motion of themoving body in a neighborhood of the water outlet of the water dischargemodule.

In the second moving body of the invention, the air flow caused by themotion of the moving body is regulated in the vicinity of the wateroutlet for releasing the water produced by the fuel cells. Thisarrangement effectively prevents scatter of the water. This arrangementrestrains potential disadvantage of the released water in a lateraldirection or backward of the moving body. Here the terminology ‘movingbody’ includes any ground moving body, for example, an automobile, atrain, or any of other various vehicles. The moving body may have otherpower sources, such as a secondary battery and a capacitor, in additionto the fuel cells.

In one preferable embodiment of the second moving body of the invention,the water outlet is arranged to release the water from a bottom side ofthe moving body substantially downward in a vertical direction. The airflow regulation module makes the air flow obliquely backward the movingbody. When the moving body is at a stop, the water is released in thevertical direction from the side of the moving body in the range of thecontour of the moving body. This arrangement desirably prevents thereleased water from splashing about on any pedestrian or any building orconstruction on the side of the moving body, when the moving body is ata stop. During a motion of the moving body, on the other hand, theregulated air flow makes the released water flown obliquely backward themoving body. This arrangement restrains the released water from beingswirled on and scattered by the air flow caused by the motion of themoving body, thus reducing the adverse effects of the water splash onother vehicles running on the side and behind. The lateral distance ofthe water released obliquely backward depends upon the flow rate of thewater and the moving speed of the moving body. The release angle of thewater in the obliquely backward direction is preferably regulated tomake the lateral distance of the water release in a generallynon-approachable range during the motion of the moving body, forexample, in a range of 10 to 100 cm or more specifically in a range of30 to 70 cm. This desirably prevents the released water during themotion of the moving body from splashing about on any pedestrian orconstruction on the side of the moving body. Here and in thespecification hereof, the terminology ‘obliquely backward’ directionincludes the lateral direction, the backward direction, as well as alldirections between the lateral direction and the backward direction,that is, all the backward directions in the angle of 0 to 90 degreesfrom the lateral direction of the moving body. The air flow regulationmodule may be designed to make the air flow backward at an angle in arange of 15 to 75 degrees relative to a lateral side of the moving body.

In the embodiment of the second moving body of the invention that makesthe air flow obliquely backward the moving body, it is preferable thatthe air flow regulation module regulates the air flow to have avertically downward component. This arrangement accelerates fall of thewater onto the road surface, thus more effectively restraining backwardscatter of the released water.

In the embodiment of the second moving body of the invention that makesthe air flow obliquely backward the moving body, it is also preferablethat the air flow regulation module regulates the air flow introducedfrom front of the moving body. The air flow introduced from the front ofthe moving body is thus utilized for regulation of the water release.

In one preferable application of this embodiment of the invention thatmakes the air flow obliquely backward the moving body, the second movingbody is a vehicle, and the water outlet is located behind a front wheelof the vehicle. The vicinity of the wheel has little potential effectsof the vehicle wind caused by a run of the vehicle. This arrangementthus effectively reduces the potential effects of the vehicle wind onthe water released from the water outlet, thus preventing scatter of thereleased water backward and in the lateral direction.

In the embodiment of the second moving body of the invention that makesthe air flow obliquely backward the moving body, the water outlet may belocated on a side of a driver's seat. The side of the driver's seat isgenerally the side closer to the opposing vehicles. This arrangementthus effectively prevents the water released obliquely backward fromsplashing about on any pedestrian walking on the road shoulder.

A third moving body of the present invention is a moving body with fuelcells that are mounted thereon as a power source and generate electricpower with production of water as a by-product, the moving body beingequipped with a suspension device for supporting the moving body, themoving body including a water discharge module that has a water outletattached to an under-spring member of the suspension device and releaseswater produced by the fuel cells from the water outlet to theatmosphere.

In the third moving body of the invention, water produced by the fuelcell is released from the water outlet attached to the under-springmember of the suspension device to the atmosphere. Release of water atthe position closer to the road surface shortens the time required forthe fall of water to the road surface and thereby restrains splash ofthe water by the air flow caused by the motion of the moving body. Thus,this arrangement restrains potential disadvantage of the released waterin a lateral direction or backward of the moving body. Here theterminology ‘moving body’ includes any ground moving body, for example,an automobile, a train, or any of other various vehicles. The movingbody may have other power sources, such as a secondary battery and acapacitor, in addition to the fuel cells. The under-spring member may bea suspension arm.

In one preferable application of the invention, the third moving body isa vehicle, and the water outlet is located in a neighborhood of a wheel.The vicinity of the wheel has little potential effects of the vehiclewind caused by a run of the vehicle. This arrangement thus effectivelyreduces the potential effects of the vehicle wind on the water releasedfrom the water outlet, thus preventing scatter of the released waterbackward and in the lateral direction. The water outlet may be locatedbehind a rear wheel.

In one preferable embodiment of the invention, the third moving body hasan air flow regulation module that regulates an air flow caused bymotion of the moving body in the vicinity of the water outlet. Thisstructure preferably controls the potential effects of the air flowcaused by the motion of the moving body on the released water. In onestructure of the embodiment of the third moving body of the invention,the air flow regulation module restricts the air flow caused by themotion of the moving body. In another structure of the embodiment, theair flow regulation module regulates the air flow to have a verticallydownward component. The former structure reduces the effect of the airflow by the motion of the moving body on the water, and the latterstructure shortens the time required for the fall of water to the roadsurface, thus effectively restraining splash of the water

A fourth moving body of the present invention is a moving body with fuelcells that are mounted thereon as a power source and generate electricpower with production of water as a by-product, the moving bodyincluding: a water discharge module that releases water produced by thefuel cells from a water outlet to the atmosphere; and an air flow effectcontrol module that restrains potential effect of an air flow caused bymotion of the moving body on the water, which is released from the wateroutlet and eventually reaches road surface, at least in a neighborhoodof the water outlet.

The fourth moving body of the invention restrains the potential effectsof the air flow caused by the motion of the moving body on the water,which is released from the water outlet and eventually reaches roadsurface, at least in the neighborhood of the water outlet. Thisarrangement desirably restrains splash of the released water by the airflow caused by the motion of the moving body. This arrangement restrainspotential disadvantage of the released water in a lateral direction orbackward of the moving body. Here the terminology ‘moving body’ includesany ground moving body, for example, an automobile, a train, or any ofother various vehicles. The moving body may have other power sources,such as a secondary battery and a capacitor, in addition to the fuelcells.

In the fourth moving body of the invention, the air flow effect controlmodule may generate a gas flow in the neighborhood of the water outletto flow in a direction substantially identical with a release directionof the water from the water outlet. The gas flow interferes with the airflow caused by the motion of the moving body and thereby restricts thepotential effects of the air flow caused by the motion of the movingbody on the released water.

In the fourth moving body of the invention, the air flow effect controlmodule may generate a gas flow to practically block off the air flow,which is caused by the motion of the moving body to affect the waterreleased from the water outlet. The gas flow interferes with the airflow caused by the motion of the moving body to affect the releasedwater and thereby restricts the potential effects of the air flow causedby the motion of the moving body on the released water.

In the fourth moving body of the invention that generates the gas flowto restrict the potential effects of the air flow caused by the motionof the moving body on the released water, it is preferable that the airflow effect control module generates the gas flow ahead of a releaseposition of the water in a moving direction of the moving body. Thisarrangement restrains the potential effects of the front air flow on thereleased water.

In the fourth moving body of the invention that generates the gas flowin the direction substantially identical with the release direction ofthe water, the air flow effect control module may generate the gas flowbehind a release position of the water in a moving direction of themoving body. The gas flow generated behind the released watereffectively restrains the potential effects of the air flow on therelease water.

In the fourth moving body of the invention that generates the gas flowin the direction substantially identical with the release direction ofthe water, the air flow effect control module may generate the gas flowlaterally inward a release position of the water in a moving directionof the moving body or may alternatively generate the gas flow laterallyoutward the release position of the water in the moving direction of themoving body. The gas flow generated on the side of the released watereffectively restrains the potential effects of the air flow on therelease water.

In the fourth moving body of the invention that generates the gas flowto restrict the potential effects of the air flow caused by the motionof the moving body on the released water, the air flow effect controlmodule may generate the gas flow in a circular shape around the water ormay generate the gas flow to surround the water. The gas flow generatedin the circular shape around the water or the gas flow generated tosurround the water desirably restrains the potential effects of the airflow on the released water.

In the fourth moving body of the invention that generates the gas flowto restrict the potential effects of the air flow caused by the motionof the moving body on the released water, the air flow effect controlmodule may generate the gas flow of exhaust gas from the moving body.For example, the air flow effect control module may generate the gasflow of exhaust gas from the fuel cells. This ensures the effective useof the exhaust gas from the fuel cells. The air flow effect controlmodule may have a fan to generate the gas flow. The fan is, for example,a cooling fan to cool down a device mounted on the moving body. Thisarrangement ensures the effective use of the exhaust gas from the fan,which is applied to cool down the device mounted on the moving body. Thefan may be arranged in a lower portion of the moving body to make a flowof the exhaust gas having a vertically downward component.

In the fourth moving body of the invention that generates the gas flowto restrict the potential effects of the air flow caused by the motionof the moving body on the released water, it is preferable that the airflow effect control module regulates the air flow caused by the motionof the moving body to generate the gas flow. This arrangement attainsthe effective use of the air flow caused by the motion of the movingbody.

A fifth moving body of the present invention is a moving body with fuelcells that are mounted thereon as a power source and generate electricpower with production of water as a by-product, the moving bodyincluding: a water discharge module that releases water produced by thefuel cells from a water outlet to the atmosphere; and a backward scattercontrol module that restrains water released from the water outlet andwater reaching road surface after the release from the water outlet frombeing scattered backward by an air flow caused by motion of the movingbody.

The fifth moving body of the invention restrains water released from thewater outlet and water reaching road surface after the release from thewater outlet from being scattered backward by the air flow caused by themotion of the moving body. This arrangement desirably restricts scatterof the released water in the lateral direction and backward. Theterminology ‘moving body’ includes any ground moving body, for example,an automobile, a train, or any of other various vehicles. The movingbody may have other power sources, such as a secondary battery and acapacitor, in addition to the fuel cells.

In one preferable embodiment of the fifth moving body of the invention,the backward scatter control module generates a gas flow behind thewater outlet to flow in a direction substantially identical with arelease direction of the water from the water outlet. The gas floweffectively reduces the potential effects of the air flow caused by themotion of the moving body on the water released from the water outletand the water reaching the road surface.

In another preferable embodiment of the fifth moving body of theinvention, the backward scatter control module generates a gas flowhaving a vertically downward component behind the water outlet. The gasflow effectively restrains backward scatter of the water released fromthe water outlet and the water reaching the road surface.

In another preferable embodiment of the fifth moving body of theinvention, the backward scatter control module regulates the air flowcaused by the motion of the moving body to generate the gas flow. Thisensures the effective use of the air flow by the motion of the movingbody.

In still another preferable embodiment of the fifth moving body of theinvention, the backward scatter control module generates the gas flow ofexhaust gas from the moving body. In this case, the backward scattercontrol module may generate the gas flow of exhaust gas from the fuelcells. This ensures the effective use of the exhaust gas from the fuelcells.

A sixth moving body of the present invention is a moving body with fuelcells that are mounted thereon as a power source and generate electricpower with production of water as a by-product, the moving bodyincluding a gas liquid separation discharge module that receives asupply of exhaust gas including at least part of water produced by thefuel cells in the form of steam, effects gas liquid separation of thesupplied exhaust gas by function of centrifugal separation, and releasesseparated gas and liquid in a substantially identical direction to theatmosphere.

The sixth moving body of the invention receives a supply of exhaust gasincluding at least part of water produced by the fuel cells in the formof steam, effects gas liquid separation of the supplied exhaust gas byfunction of centrifugal separation, and releases the separated gas andliquid in a substantially identical direction to the atmosphere. The gasreleased with the liquid in the substantially identical direction worksas a gas flow to restrict the potential effects of the air flow causedby the motion of the moving body on the liquid. The gas flow accordinglyprevents backward or lateral scatter of the liquid or the releasedwater. This arrangement desirably restricts scatter of the releasedwater in the lateral direction and backward. The gas separated by gasliquid separation is not restricted to the completely dried gas but maybe imperfectly saturated, perfectly saturated, or oversaturatedsteam-containing gas or a gas containing very small liquid waterdroplets in addition to such steam. The terminology ‘moving body’includes any ground moving body, for example, an automobile, a train, orany of other various vehicles. The moving body may have other powersources, such as a secondary battery and a capacitor, in addition to thefuel cells.

In one preferable embodiment of the sixth moving body of the invention,the gas liquid separation discharge module includes: a gas liquidseparator module that makes a spiral flow of the exhaust gas to effectthe centrifugal gas liquid separation; and a release module thatreleases the gas and the liquid separated by the gas liquid separatormodule in a direction having a vertically downward component. Here theterminology ‘making a spiral flow’ means revolving in spirals. The gasliquid separator module makes a spiral flow of the exhaust gas andapplies the centrifugal force on the weight of the water to accumulatethe water on the inner wall surface. The release module utilizes the gasflow to move the water accumulated on the inner wall surface toward therear portion and releases the accumulated water in the direction havingthe vertically downward component. The gas separated by gas liquidseparation is accordingly released as the gas flow ahead of the releasedwater. The gas flow effectively restricts the potential effects of theair flow caused by the motion of the moving body on the released waterand thereby prevents backward and lateral scatter of the released water.In this preferable embodiment, the release module may have a bent pipe,which bends a substantially horizontal flow of the gas and the liquidfrom the gas liquid separator module to a vertically downward directionand releases the vertically downward flow of the gas and the liquid.

A seventh moving body of the present invention is a moving body withfuel cells that are mounted thereon as a power source and generateelectric power with production of water as a by-product, the moving bodyincluding a release module having a release mechanism that changes arelease direction of exhaust gas in a range between a verticallydownward direction and a horizontal direction, in response to avariation in flow rate of the exhaust gas from the fuel cells. Therelease module activates the release mechanism to release water and theexhaust gas produced by the fuel cells to the atmosphere.

The seventh moving body of the invention activates the release mechanismthat changes the release direction of the exhaust gas in the rangebetween the vertically downward direction and the horizontal direction,in response to a variation in flow rate of the exhaust gas from the fuelcells. The release module releases the water and the exhaust gasproduced by the fuel cells to the atmosphere. The release direction ofthe exhaust gas is adjustable, in response to the flow rate of theexhaust gas discharged from the fuel cells. The release mechanism maychange the release direction of the exhaust gas to the horizontaldirection, in response to an increase in flow rate of the exhaust gas.The flow rate of the exhaust gas naturally increases with an increase inload applied to the fuel cells. The load of the fuel cells is affectedby the moving speed or the moving acceleration of the moving body. Thewater and the exhaust gas are released downward in the verticaldirection, in response to a low moving speed or a low movingacceleration of the moving body. The water and the exhaust gas arereleased in the direction between the vertically downward direction andthe horizontal direction, on the other hand, in response to a highmoving speed or a high moving acceleration of the moving body. Theterminology ‘moving body’ includes any ground moving body, for example,an automobile, a train, or any of other various vehicles. The movingbody may have other power sources, such as a secondary battery and acapacitor, in addition to the fuel cells.

In one preferable embodiment of the seventh moving body of theinvention, the release mechanism changes the release direction of theexhaust gas from the vertically downward direction to a horizontal andlateral direction of the moving body, in response to a variation in flowrate of the exhaust gas from the fuel cells. Under the condition of ahigh moving speed or a high moving acceleration of the moving body, thewater and the exhaust gas are released in the direction having thelateral component of the moving body. This arrangement effectivelyprevents the released water from being swirled on and scattered by theair flow caused by the motion of the moving body.

In another preferable embodiment of the seventh moving body of theinvention, the release mechanism changes the release direction of theexhaust gas from the vertically downward direction to a horizontal andbackward direction of the moving body, in response to a variation inflow rate of the exhaust gas from the fuel cells. Under the condition ofa high moving speed or a high moving acceleration of the moving body,the water and the exhaust gas are released in the direction having thebackward component of the moving body. The release of water in thedirection having the backward component lowers the relative speed of thereleased water to the road surface and thus restrains splash of wateragainst the road surface. This arrangement accordingly prevents thereleased water from being splashed against the road surface to beswirled on and scattered by the air flow caused by the motion of themoving body.

In another preferable embodiment of the seventh moving body of theinvention, the release mechanism has a movable pipe that is linked via ahinge to an upper edge of an end of a stationary pipe fixed to themoving body in a substantially horizontal orientation. In still anotherpreferable embodiment of the seventh moving body, the release mechanismhas a bendable pipe that is linked in a bendable manner to an end of astationary pipe fixed to the moving body in a substantially horizontalorientation, and a deformable elastic member that is deformable by forceof a gas flowing through the bendable pipe. In this embodiment, therelease mechanism utilizes the deformable elastic member to adjust abending state of the bendable pipe and make a free end of the bendablepipe face substantially downward in the vertical direction, in responseto a low flow rate of the exhaust gas.

An eighth moving body of the present invention is a moving body withfuel cells that are mounted thereon as a power source and generateelectric power with production of water as a by-product, the moving bodyincluding: a water discharge module that releases water produced by thefuel cells from a water outlet to the atmosphere; and a scatter controlmodule that restrains scatter of the water released from the wateroutlet of the water discharge module.

The eighth moving body of the invention restrains scatter of the waterproduced by the fuel cells and released from the water outlet and thusdesirably restricts scatter of the released water in the lateraldirection and backward. Here the terminology ‘moving body’ includes anyground moving body, for example, an automobile, a train, or any of othervarious vehicles. The moving body may have other power sources, such asa secondary battery and a capacitor, in addition to the fuel cells.

In one preferable embodiment the eighth moving body of the invention,the scatter control module enhance a force in a direction acting on fallof the water. The enhanced force in the direction acting on the fall ofthe water accelerates the fall of the released water to the road surfaceand thereby prevents the released water from being swirled on andscattered by the air flow caused by the motion of the moving body,before reaching the road surface.

In this embodiment of the eighth moving body of the invention thatenhances the force in the direction acting on the fall of the water, thescatter control module may increase a fall weight of the water. Here theterminology ‘increasing the fall weight’ means aggregation of smallwater droplets to form larger water droplets when the released waterfalls in the form of water droplets, while meaning expansion of thesectional area of water when the released water falls in a continuousflow. In this case, as one structure, the scatter control module mayaccumulate the water and lead the accumulated water to the water outlet.The scatter control module may further effect gas liquid separation ofexhaust gas from the fuel cells, which includes at least part of thewater in the form of steam, to accumulate the water.

In the embodiment of the eighth moving body of the invention thatenhances the force in the direction acting on the fall of the water, thescatter control module may accelerate the fall of the water with an airflow caused by motion of the moving body. This ensures effective use ofthe air flow caused by the motion of the moving body to restrain splashof the released water. In the embodiment of the eighth moving body ofthe invention that enhances the force in the direction acting on thefall of the water, further, the scatter control module may make the airflow caused by the motion of the moving body as a flow having avertically downward component relative to the water, so as to acceleratethe fall of the water. This structure also ensures effective use of theair flow caused by the motion of the moving body to restrain splash ofthe released water.

In the embodiment of the eighth moving body of the invention thatenhances the force in the direction acting on the fall of the water, thescatter control module may accelerate the fall of the water with a flowof a gas emitted from the moving body. This ensures effective use of thegas emitted from the moving body to restrain splash of the releasedwater. In this case, the scatter control module may emit the gas flowfrom the moving body as a flow having a vertically downward componentrelative to the water, so as to accelerate the fall of the water.

In another preferable embodiment of the eighth moving body of theinvention, the scatter control module reduces a force in a directionacting on splash of the water. The reduced force in the direction actingon the splash of the water effectively restrains scatter of the releasedwater.

In this preferable embodiment, the scatter control module may restricteffect of an air flow caused by motion of the moving body on the water.Scatter of the released water is thus restrained with the air flow bythe motion of the moving body.

In the embodiment of the eighth moving body of the invention thatreduces a force in a direction acting on splash of the water, thescatter control module may regulate the air flow caused by the motion ofthe moving body relative to the water, so as to restrict the effect ofthe air flow caused by the motion of the moving body on the water. Inthis case, as one structure, the scatter control module may restrict orblock off the air flow caused by the motion of the moving body relativeto the water. In this case, as another structure, the scatter controlmodule may make the air flow caused by the motion of the moving body asa flow having a vertically downward component relative to the water.

In the embodiment of the eighth moving body of the invention thatreduces a force in a direction acting on splash of the water, thescatter control module may reduce the force with a flow of a gas emittedfrom the moving body. This ensures the effective use of the gas from themoving body to restrain splash of the released water. In this case, thescatter control module may restrict or block off the air flow caused bythe motion of the moving body relative to the water.

In another preferable embodiment of the eighth moving body, the scattercontrol module restricts motion of the water. Restriction of the motionof the water desirably restrains splash of the released water. In thispreferable embodiment, the scatter control module may restrict themotion of the water with a flow of a gas emitted from the moving body,or with an air flow caused by motion of the moving body.

A ninth moving body of the present invention includes: fuel cells thatgenerate electric power through electrochemical reaction of hydrogenwith oxygen; an exhaust system that emits exhaust gas from the fuelcells out of the moving body; and a water discharge control mechanismthat restrains discharge of water, which is contained in the exhaustgas, out of the moving body at a speed of not lower than a preset level.

Scatter of the released water is affected by the air flow outside themoving body. The ninth moving body of the invention accordinglyrestrains the discharge of water, which is contained in the exhaust gas,out of the moving body at the speed of not lower than the preset level,thus effectively preventing the scatter of the released water. A typicalexample of the moving body is a vehicle.

In the ninth moving body of the invention, the water discharge controlmechanism may have any of diverse structures. In a first availablestructure, the water discharge control mechanism is a valve mechanismthat reduces an opening at the speed of not lower than the preset level.The valve mechanism may include a solenoid valve and a valve regulatorthat regulates the opening of the solenoid valve in response to thespeed of the moving body. The valve mechanism may alternatively includea lead valve that opens and closes in response to a variation inexternal pressure. Under the condition of relatively high-speed motionof the moving body, the ram pressure or the pressure caused by theblockage of the air flow increases with an increase in moving speed. Thelead valve that opens and closes in response to a variation in rampressure accordingly actualizes the valve mechanism of the relativelysimple structure.

In a second available structure, the water discharge control mechanismis a drain that has an opening at a position and orientation to make aram pressure produced by motion of the moving body act in a direction ofrestricting discharge of the water. For example, the drain may beattached to the outside of the moving body to face forward.

The water discharge control mechanism may be located in the exhaustsystem, for example, set directly in an exhaust pipe. In anotherpreferable embodiment, the exhaust system has a gas liquid separationmechanism to separate the water from the exhaust gas, and the waterdischarge control mechanism is located in a water discharge systemdownstream the gas liquid separation mechanism. The gas liquidseparation mechanism separates the water from the exhaust gas and thusadvantageously ensures efficient discharge of water.

In one preferable structure of this embodiment, the gas liquidseparation mechanism has a water tank that temporarily keeps the wateraccumulated therein. The presence of the water tank desirably restrictsdischarge of the water under the condition of high-speed motion of themoving body without affecting the function of gas liquid separation. Inthis structure, it is preferable that the water discharge system isprovided in the water tank to have an opening in a front portion of themoving body. Under acceleration of the moving body, the force of inertiafunctions to press the accumulated water rearward in the water tank andthereby interfere with the water discharge from the water tank toprevent splash of water. Under deceleration of the moving body, on theother hand, the force of inertia functions to press the accumulatedwater forward in the water tank and thereby facilitate the waterdischarge from the water tank. The opening of the water tank for waterdischarge faces the front of the moving body. This simple structurerestricts water discharge under acceleration of the moving body, whilefacilitating water discharge under deceleration of the moving body.

A tenth moving body of the present invention includes: fuel cells thatgenerate electric power through electrochemical reaction of hydrogenwith oxygen; an exhaust system that emits exhaust gas from the fuelcells out of the moving body; a water tank that temporarily keeps watercontained in the exhaust gas; and a drain that is formed in a frontportion of the moving body to discharge the water from the water tank.

The tenth moving body of the invention has the water tank located in theexhaust system and the drain formed in the front portion of the movingbody to discharge the water from the water tank. The tenth moving bodyof the invention may have insufficient effects of restraining the waterdischarge under the condition of the high-speed motion of the movingbody. As mentioned above, the presence of the front-facing openingrestricts water discharge under acceleration of the moving body, whilefacilitating water discharge under deceleration of the moving body.During a general run, the moving body often repeats acceleration anddeceleration and does not continue running at a fixed cruising speed.The arrangement of facilitating the water discharge under decelerationand restraining the water discharge under acceleration thus reducesscatter of the discharged water during a run of the moving body to thelevel that does not interfere with smooth driving of subsequent andnearby moving bodies. Here a typical example of the moving body is avehicle.

In the tenth moving body of the invention, the water tank and the drainmay be located inside the moving body to discharge water out of themoving body through an exhaust pipe. In one preferable embodiment of thetenth moving body of the invention, the drain has an opening at aposition and orientation to make a ram pressure produced by motion ofthe moving body act in a direction of restricting discharge of thewater. In one preferable structure of this embodiment, the water tank isattached to the outside of the moving body. This structure ensuresapplication of the ram pressure onto the drain. In another preferablestructure of this embodiment, the water tank is located inside themoving body, whereas the drain is formed outside the moving body.Application of the ram pressure onto the drain restricts the waterdischarge under the condition of the high-speed motion of the movingbody and thereby effectively restrains splash of the discharged water.

In another preferable embodiment of the tenth moving body of theinvention, the drain has a valve mechanism that reduces an opening at aspeed of not less than a preset level. This arrangement also restrictsthe water discharge under the condition of the high-speed motion of themoving body. The valve mechanism may be the combination of the solenoidvalve and the valve regulator or the lead valve, as discussed above withregard to the ninth moving body of the invention.

In still another preferable embodiment of the tenth moving body of theinvention, the exhaust system has a gas liquid separation mechanism toseparate the water from the exhaust gas. The water tank is located in awater discharge system downstream the gas liquid separation mechanism.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a plane layout of devices mounted on afuel cell vehicle 10 in a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is aside view showing aside layout of the devices mounted on thefuel cell vehicle 10 of the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a system diagram schematically showing the configuration of afuel cell system 20 that includes a fuel cell stack 22 and is mounted onthe fuel cell vehicle 10 of the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a plane layout of a water outlet 164 andan air flow-guiding path 180 in the fuel cell vehicle 110 in a secondembodiment;

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a side layout of devices mounted on thefuel cell vehicle 110 of the second embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a plane layout of a water outlet 164 andan air duct 180B in the fuel cell vehicle 110B in a modified structureof a second embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a side layout of the water outlet 164 andthe air duct 180B;

FIG. 8 shows a layout of a water outlet 264 in a fuel cell vehicle 210of a third embodiment;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view, taken on a line A-A of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view, taken on a line B-B of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a plane layout of devices mounted on afuel cell vehicle 310 in a fourth embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a side view showing the location of an exhaust conduit 347and a gas-liquid separator 348 in the fuel cell vehicle 310 of thefourth embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a system diagram schematically showing the configuration of afuel cell system 320 that includes the fuel cell stack 22 and is mountedon the fuel cell vehicle 310 of the fourth embodiment;

FIG. 14 shows the structure of an air supply discharge system 40 in thefuel cell vehicle 310 of the fourth embodiment;

FIG. 15 shows vehicle wind relative to released water and exhaust gas;

FIG. 16 shows a modified example of the structure of the air supplydischarge system 40 of the fourth embodiment;

FIG. 17 shows another modified example of the structure of the airsupply discharge system 40 of the fourth embodiment;

FIG. 18 shows vehicle wind relative to released water and exhaust gas inthe modified structures;

FIG. 19 shows another modified example of the structure of the airsupply discharge system 40 of the fourth embodiment;

FIG. 20 shows another modified example of the structure of the airsupply discharge system 40 of the fourth embodiment;

FIG. 21 shows another modified example of the structure of an air supplydischarge system 40 of the fourth embodiment;

FIG. 22 shows vehicle wind relative to released water and exhaust gas inthese modified structures;

FIG. 23 is a plan view showing a plane layout of the air supplydischarge system 40 in one modified structure;

FIG. 24 is a side view showing a side layout of the air supply dischargesystem 40 in another modified structure;

FIG. 25 shows another modified example of the structure of an air supplydischarge system 40 of the fourth embodiment;

FIG. 26 shows vehicle wind relative to released water and exhaust gas inthe modified structures;

FIG. 27 is a plan view showing a plane layout of devices mounted on afuel cell vehicle 410 in a fifth embodiment;

FIG. 28 shows the structure and the functions of a release conduit 450;

FIG. 29 shows the structure and the functions of an air supply dischargesystem in one modified example of the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 30 shows another modified example of the structure of the airsupply discharge system 40 of the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 31 shows another modified example of the structure of the airsupply discharge system 40 of the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 32 shows position of an air curtain in one example;

FIG. 33 show position in another example;

FIG. 34 is a plan view showing a plane layout of devices mounted on afuel cell vehicle 510 in a sixth embodiment;

FIG. 35 is a side view showing a layout of an exhaust system in the fuelcell vehicle 510 of the sixth embodiment;

FIG. 36 is a system diagram schematically showing the configuration of afuel cell system 520 that includes the fuel cell stack 22 and is mountedon the fuel cell vehicle 510 of the sixth embodiment;

FIGS. 37A and 37B show the structure of a release mechanism 550 and aprocess of emitting exhaust gas;

FIGS. 38A and 38B show the structure of a release mechanism 550B in onemodified example;

FIG. 39 schematically illustrates the configuration of a vehicle 1010 ina seventh embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 40A, 40B, and 40C show the functions of a buffer tank 1027;

FIG. 41 shows the structure of an exhaust system in an eighth embodimentof the invention;

FIGS. 42A, 42B, and 42C show the structure of another exhaust system ina modified example; and

FIG. 43 shows the structure of still another exhaust system in anothermodified example.

BEST MODES OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Some modes of carrying out the invention are discussed below aspreferred embodiments.

A. First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a plane layout of devices mounted on afuel cell vehicle 10 in a first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is aside view showing a side layout of the devices mounted on the fuel cellvehicle 10 of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a system diagramschematically showing the configuration of a fuel cell system 20 thatincludes a fuel cell stack 22 and is mounted on the fuel cell vehicle 10of the first embodiment. For simplicity of explanation, the descriptionfirst regards the configuration of the fuel cell system 20 withreference to the system diagram of FIG. 3 and then the layout of therespective devices included in the fuel cell system 20 with reference toFIGS. 1 and 2.

The fuel cell system 20 mounted on the fuel cell vehicle 10 of the firstembodiment includes a fuel cell stack 22 or a stack of multiple layersof unit cells, each of which has two electrodes (a fuel electrode and anair electrode) arranged across a polymer electrolyte membrane. The fuelcell system 20 also includes a hydrogen supply system 30 that feeds asupply of hydrogen from a high-pressure hydrogen tank 31 to the fuelelectrodes (anodes) of the fuel cell stack 22, an air supply dischargesystem 40 that feeds a supply of the air to the air electrodes(cathodes) of the fuel cell stack 22 and processes the cathode exhaustfrom the air electrodes, a cooling system 50 that cools down the fuelcell stack 22, and a release system 60 that releases exhaust gas andwater produced in the fuel cell system to the atmosphere.

The hydrogen supply system 30 includes a hydrogen supply conduit 32 thatleads a supply of hydrogen from the high-pressure hydrogen tank 31 intoa hydrogen supply path to the anodes, which is formed inside the fuelcell stack 22, and a hydrogen circulation conduit 33 that returns a flowof unreacted hydrogen through a hydrogen exhaust path from the anodes,which is formed inside the fuel cell stack 22, to the hydrogen supplyconduit 32. The hydrogen supply conduit 32 has a check valve thatprevents a reverse flow of hydrogen to the high-pressure hydrogen tank31 and a gate valve that works to start or stop supply of hydrogen tothe fuel cell stack 22. The hydrogen circulation conduit 33 has ahydrogen pump 34 that pressure feeds hydrogen to the hydrogen supplyconduit 32, a gas-liquid separator 38 that liquefies steam contained inthe circulated hydrogen for gas-liquid separation, a check valve thatprevents a reverse flow of hydrogen to the hydrogen supply conduit 32,and a gate valve that works to stop discharge of exhaust hydrogen fromthe fuel cell stack 22. Diversity of sensors are attached to thehydrogen supply conduit 32 and the hydrogen circulation conduit 33 toregulate the supply of hydrogen to the fuel cell stack 22 and theoperating conditions of the fuel cell stack 22. Typical examples of suchsensors include pressure sensors located in the vicinity of an inlet ofthe fuel cell stack 22 and on the discharge side of the hydrogen pump 34and temperature sensors located in the vicinity of an outlet of the fuelcell stack 22 and on the discharge side of the hydrogen pump 34. Thewater separated by the gas-liquid separator 38 is sent to buffer tanks62 a through 62 c in the release system 60. The hydrogen circulationconduit 33 has a branch pipe via the gate valve. Hydrogen in thehydrogen circulation conduit 33 flows through the branch pipe, isintroduced into a dilution unit 61 of the release system 60 fordilution, and is released to the atmosphere.

In the air supply discharge system 40, a supply of the air is measuredby a mass flow meter 43, is pressurized by an air compressor 44, ishumidified by a humidifier 46, and is supplied to the cathodes of thefuel cell stack 22 via an air supply conduit 42. The air (cathodeexhaust) from the cathodes of the fuel cell stack 22 is introduced intothe humidifier 46 to humidify the air supply from the compressor 44 andruns through a gas-liquid separator 48 for gas-liquid separation. Thewater separated by the gas-liquid separator 48 is sent to buffer tanks62 a through 62 c, while the separated gas (exhaust gas) is sent to thedilution unit 61 to be used as a diluting gas and is finally released tothe atmosphere. The gas-liquid separator 48 used in this embodiment doesnot attain complete gas-liquid separation but only imperfectly separatesthe gas from water. Namely the gas separated by the gas-liquid separator48 is not completely dried but may contain imperfectly saturated,perfectly saturated, or oversaturated steam or contain small droplets ofwater in addition to such steam.

The cooling system 50 circulates a flow of cooling water through acooling water circulation conduit 52, which includes a cooling waterflow path formed inside the fuel cell stack 22, to cool the fuel cellstack 22 down. The cooling water circulation conduit 52 has a coolingwater pump 54 to circulate the flow of cooling water and a radiator 56with a fan to cool down the circulated cooling water with the flow ofthe outside air. For the purpose of temperature control of the coolingwater, temperature sensors to measure the temperature of cooling waterare located in the vicinity of an outlet of the fuel cell stack 22 andin the downstream of the radiator 56 in the cooling water circulationconduit 52.

The release system 60 includes a water release system and a gas releasesystem. In the water release system, the water separated by thegas-liquid separator 38 in the hydrogen supply system 30 and the waterseparated by the gas-liquid separator 48 in the air supply dischargesystem 40 is temporarily accumulated in the buffer tanks 62 a through 62c and is released from multiple water outlets (two water outlets in thestructure of the first embodiment) 64 b and 64 c. In the gas releasesystem, the gas exhaust separated by the gas-liquid separator 48 in theair supply discharge system 40 is sent to the dilution unit 61 to beused as the diluting gas and dilute the exhaust of hydrogen dischargedfrom the hydrogen supply system 30 and is eventually released to theatmosphere.

In the fuel cell system 20 having the above configuration, the fuel cellstack 22 is controlled through actuation of the hydrogen pump 34, theair compressor 44, and the cooling water pump 54 and regulation of theopenings of the gate valves and flow control valves in response tosignals sent from the diverse sensors. The fuel cell system 20 alsoincludes a power control unit (hereafter referred to as PCU) 70 tocontrol a non-illustrated drive motor, a chargeable and dischargeablebattery 84, and an inverter for driving the motor. These elements are,however, not essential of the invention, so that illustration anddetailed description of these elements are omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fuel cell stack 22 is laid in the lowercentral area on the front side of the vehicle and the PCU 70 is locatedabove the fuel cell stack 22. The humidifier 46 and the air compressor44 are located in a fender on the left front of the fuel cell stack 22,whereas the buffer tank 62 a is located in a fender on the right frontof the fuel cell stack 22. A radiator 56 is located in front of the fuelcell stack 22, and another radiator 72 for air conditioning in thepassenger compartment is further located in front of the radiator 56.The buffer tanks 62 b and 62 c are set in the lower left and rightcorners inside a front bumper. The gas-liquid separator 48 in the airsupply discharge system 40 is laid on the front lower right side of thedriver's seat (the driver's seat on the right-hand drive vehicle). Thehydrogen pump 34, the cooling water pump 54, and the gas-liquidseparator 38 are also placed in the front portion of the vehicle and thedilution unit 61 is placed on one of the front, center, and the rearportions of the vehicle, although these elements are omitted from theillustration of FIGS. 1 and 2.

The buffer tank 62 a is linked to the gas-liquid separator 38 in thehydrogen supply system 30 and to the gas-liquid separator 48 in the airsupply discharge system 40 via non-illustrated connecting pipes, whilebeing connected with the buffer tanks 62 b and 62 c set in the lowerleft and right corners inside the front bumper via non-illustrated waterpipes. The water separated by the gas-liquid separators 38 and 48 istemporarily accumulated in the buffer tank 62 a located inside thefender and is then sent to the left and right buffer tanks 62 b and 62 clocated inside the bumper. The buffer tank 62 a has an air-bleeding holeto reduce the pressure in the buffer tanks 62 a through 62 c. The buffertanks 62 b and 62 c located inside the bumper are connected vianon-illustrated water discharge pipes to the two water outlets 64 b and64 c of an identical shape attached to the front inner faces of thefenders for the left and right front wheels. The water accumulated inthe buffer tanks 62 b and 62 c is accordingly released from the wateroutlets 64 b and 64 c. The water outlets 64 b and 64 c have drainablecross sections designed to make the release quantity of water per unittime less than the quantity of water per unit time produced throughpower generation of the fuel cell stack 22 under application of maximumloading to the fuel cell stack 22. In the fuel cell vehicle 10 of thefirst embodiment, the drainage cross sections of the water outlets 64 band 64 c are designed to release the mean quantity of water per unittime produced in the fuel cell stack 22 during a run in a standard drivepattern or a little greater quantity of water from the water outlets 64b and 64 c.

In the fuel cell vehicle 10 of the first embodiment constructed asdiscussed above, the water produced in the fuel cell stack 22, that is,the water separated by the gas-liquid separator 38 in the hydrogensupply system 30 and the water separated by the gas-liquid separator 48in the air supply discharge system 40, is temporarily kept in the buffertank 62 a inside the right fender, is accumulated in the buffer tanks 62b and 62 c located in the lower left and right corners inside thebumper, and is released from the water outlets 64 b and 64 c attached tothe front inner faces of the fenders for the front wheels. The waterproduced in the fuel cell stack 22 is released after accumulation in thebuffer tanks 62 a, 62 b, and 62 c. This arrangement desirably reducesthe release quantity of water, compared with the structure thatimmediately releases the water produced in the fuel cell stack 22 underapplication of large loading. The reduced flow of released water leadsto the reduced amount of water scattered by and swirled on the vehiclewind. The water outlets 64 b and 64 c are laid in the front corners ofthe fender for the front wheels. This structure effectively restrictsthe released water from being scattered by and swirled on the vehiclewind, compared with the structure with the water outlets 64 b and 64 clocated in rear corners of the fender for the front wheels or located ina fender for rear wheels. The water outlets 64 b and 64 c are laidinside the fender having little potential effects of the vehicle wind.This layout effectively restricts the released water from beingscattered by and swirled on the vehicle wind and thereby preventspotential troubles such that the released water is scattered on othervehicles running on the side and behind.

In the fuel cell vehicle 10 of the first embodiment, the water producedin the fuel cell stack 22 is temporarily kept in the buffer tank 62 ainside the right fender, is accumulated in the buffer tanks 62 b and 62c located in the lower left and right corners inside the bumper, and isreleased from the water outlets 64 b and 64 c attached to the frontinner faces of the fenders for the front wheels. The buffer tanks 62 band 62 c in the lower left and right corners inside the bumper may beomitted from the structure. In this modified structure, the waterproduced in the fuel cell stack 22 is accumulated in the buffer tank 62a located inside the right fender and is released from the water outlets64 b and 64 c. The buffer tank 62 a inside the right fender mayalternatively be omitted from the structure. In this modified structure,the water produced in the fuel cell stack 22 is accumulated in thebuffer tanks 62 b and 62 c located in the lower left and right cornersinside the bumper and is released from the water outlets 64 b and 64 c.The buffer tank 62 a inside the right fender and the buffer tanks 62 band 62 c in the lower left and right corners inside the bumper may allbe omitted from the structure. In this modified structure, the waterproduced in the fuel cell stack 22 is directly released from the wateroutlets 64 b and 64 c. This modified structure can not make asubstantially fixed release flow per unit time, but still exerts theessential effects of release of water forward the fender for the frontwheels.

In the fuel cell vehicle 10 of the first embodiment, the water producedin the fuel cell stack 22 is released from the two left and right wateroutlets 64 b and 64 c attached to the front inner faces of the fenderfor the front wheels. There may be three or more water outlets forrelease of water, or one of the water outlets 64 b and 64 c may beomitted. The water outlets 64 b and 64 c may have different shapes,instead of the identical shape in the fuel cell vehicle 10 of the firstembodiment. For example, the shapes of the water outlets 64 b and 64 cmay be designed to make the release quantity of water per unit time fromthe water outlet 64 b greater than the release quantity of water perunit time from the water outlet 64 c.

In the fuel cell vehicle 10 of the first embodiment, unreacted hydrogendischarged from the fuel cell stack 22 is circulated through thehydrogen circulation conduit 33 to the hydrogen supply conduit 32. Thehydrogen circulation conduit 33 may, however, be omitted from thestructure.

In the fuel cell vehicle 10 of the first embodiment, the gas-liquidseparator 48 in the air supply discharge system 40 does not have thefunction of complete gas-liquid separation. The gas-liquid separatormay, however, have the complete gas-liquid separating function.

B. Second Embodiment

A fuel cell vehicle 110 in a second embodiment of the invention isdiscussed below. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a plane layout of a wateroutlet 164 in the fuel cell vehicle 110 of the second embodiment. FIG. 5is a side view showing a side layout of devices mounted on the fuel cellvehicle 110 of the second embodiment. The fuel cell vehicle 110 of thesecond embodiment has similar structure to that of the fuel cell vehicle10 of the first embodiment, except exclusion of the buffer tanks 62 band 62 c, layout of the water outlet 164 for releasing the wateraccumulated in the buffer tank 62 a, and addition of an air flow-guidingpath 180 to guide the air flow to the vicinity of the water outlet 164.In order to avoid duplicated explanation, the like constituents of thefuel cell vehicle 110 of the second embodiment to those of the fuel cellvehicle 10 of the first embodiment are expressed by the like numeralsand are omitted from the illustration and the detailed description.

In the fuel cell vehicle 110 of the second embodiment, the buffer tank62 a is connected via a non-illustrated pipe to the water outlet 164,which is formed in the rear inner face of a fender for a front wheel onthe side of the driver's seat (on the right side in the right-hand drivevehicle) to release water downward in the vertical direction. The wateraccumulated in the buffer tank 62 a is accordingly released from thewater outlet 164. In the fuel cell vehicle 110 of the second embodiment,the air flow-guiding path 180 is defined by the front fender and theother parts of the vehicle as the air passage to introduce the air flowfrom the front and discharge the air flow obliquely backward through therear side of the front wheel. The air flow-guiding path 180 is designedto release the air at an angle of approximately 45 degrees diagonallybackward the vehicle in the vicinity of the water outlet 164 in thefender.

Water is released from the water outlet 164 in the following manner inthe fuel cell vehicle 110 of the second embodiment constructed asdiscussed above. The water released from the water outlet 164 during arun of the vehicle is carried on the air flow led through the airflow-guiding path 180 and is blown obliquely backward the vehicle. Thearrangement of making the water from the water outlet 164 flow obliquelybackward the vehicle effectively prevents the released water from beingswirled on the vehicle wind caused by a run of the vehicle. The rearportion of the vehicle across its width, especially the rear centerportion of the vehicle, has the greater potential effects of the vehiclewind. The potential effects of the vehicle wind are reduced on thelateral side of the vehicle with an increase in distance from thevehicle. Release of water obliquely backward the vehicle thuseffectively reduces the potential effects of the vehicle wind andprevents the released water from being swirled on the vehicle wind. Inthe structure of the second embodiment, the flow rate of the air in theair flow-guiding path 180 in the vicinity of the water outlet 164 andthe angle of the obliquely backward outflow from the air flow-guidingpath 180 are adjusted to make the water released from the water outlet164 during a run of the vehicle reach the road surface apart a lessdistance (for example, approximately 50 cm when the vehicle runs at aspeed of 60 km/h) from the vehicle than a standard distance to anothervehicle or any other obstacle on either side of the vehicle on the road.Such adjustment effectively prevents the water released from the wateroutlet 164 during a run of the vehicle from splashing about on any othervehicle or obstacle on the road. In the structure of the secondembodiment, the water outlet 164 is located on the side of the driver'sseat (generally the side closer to the opposing vehicles and closer tothe center of the road). The water released from the water outlet 164during a run of the vehicle thus does not splash about on any pedestrianwalking on the road shoulder or on any building or construction facingthe road. In the structure of the second embodiment, the water outlet164 is arranged to release the water downward in the vertical direction,so that the downward force acts on the released water to make the waterreach the road surface promptly, compared with the free fall of water.This arrangement effectively prevents the released water from beingswirled or scattered by any disturbance like the vehicle wind beforereaching the road surface. The water outlet 164 is designed to dischargewater vertically downward within the contour of the vehicle when thevehicle is at a stop. This desirably prevents the released water fromsplashing about on any pedestrian or any construction near to thevehicle.

As described above, in the fuel cell vehicle 110 of the secondembodiment, the water outlet 164 is formed in the rear inner face of thefender for the front wheel on the side of the driver's seat to releasewater downward in the vertical direction. The air flow-guiding path 180is designed to guide the air flow from the front of the vehicle anddischarge the air flow at the angle of approximately 45 degreesdiagonally backward the vehicle in the vicinity of the water outlet 164.This arrangement causes the water released from the water outlet 164 toflow obliquely backward the vehicle during a run of the vehicle andthereby effectively restrains the released water from being swirled onthe vehicle wind. The arrangement of this embodiment prevents potentialtroubles such that the released water is scattered on other vehiclesrunning on the side and behind. The water outlet 164 is located on theside of the driver's seat. Such layout desirably prevents the waterreleased from the water outlet 164 during a run of the vehicle fromsplashing about on any pedestrian walking on the road shoulder or on anybuilding or construction facing the road. The water outlet 164 isdesigned to release the water vertically downward. This design enablesthe released water to reach the road surface promptly. The water outlet164 is designed to discharge water vertically downward within thecontour of the vehicle when the vehicle is at a stop. This arrangementeffectively restrains the water released from the water outlet 164 at astop of the vehicle from splashing about on any pedestrian or anyconstruction near to the vehicle.

In the fuel cell vehicle 110 of the second embodiment, the airflow-guiding path 180 is designed to discharge the air flow introducedfrom the front of the vehicle at the angle of approximately 45 degreesdiagonally backward the vehicle behind the front wheel. The requirementis to discharge the guided air flow at the angle of approximately 45degrees diagonally backward the vehicle in the vicinity of the wateroutlet 164. There may be another air flow-guiding member, in addition toor in place of the air flow-guiding path 180. As shown in the plan viewof FIG. 6 and the side view of FIG. 7, a fuel cell vehicle 110B of amodified example has an air duct 180B that is arranged to discharge theair flow introduced from the front of the vehicle at the angle ofapproximately 45 degrees diagonally backward the vehicle in the vicinityof the water outlet 164. As shown in FIG. 7, the air duct 180B is bentdownward, so that the air flow discharged at the angle of approximately45 degrees diagonally backward the vehicle has the vertically downwardspeed component. The air flow having the vertically downward componentmakes the released water reach the road surface within a shorter timeperiod, compared with the water without the air flow. This arrangementthus effectively prevents the released water from being swirled on thevehicle wind before reaching the road surface.

The fuel cell vehicle 110 of the second embodiment discharges the guidedair flow at the angle of approximately 45 degrees diagonally backwardthe vehicle in the vicinity of the water outlet 164. The requirement isto discharge the air flow obliquely backward the vehicle. The dischargeangle of the air flow is thus not restricted to 45 degrees but may beany other suitable angle, for example, in the range of about 15 to 75degrees and particularly in the range of about 30 to 60 degrees.

In the fuel cell vehicle 110 of the second embodiment, the water outlet164 is formed in the rear inner face of the fender for the front wheelon the side of the driver's seat. The water outlet may be formed at anyother suitable position, for example, in the front inner face of thefender for the front wheel on the side of the driver's seat, in thefront or rear inner face of the fender for the rear wheel on the side ofthe driver's seat, in the front or rear inner face of the fender for thefront wheel on the side of the front passenger's seat, or in the frontor rear inner face of the fender for the rear wheel on the side of thefront passenger's seat. The water outlet may be formed at a locationother than the fender.

C. Third Embodiment

A fuel cell vehicle 210 in a third embodiment of the invention isdiscussed below. FIG. 8 shows the layout of a water outlet 264 in thefuel cell vehicle 210 of the third embodiment. The fuel cell vehicle 210of the third embodiment has similar structure to that of the fuel cellvehicle 10 of the first embodiment, except exclusion of the buffer tanks62 b and 62 c and layout of the water outlet 264 for releasing the wateraccumulated in the buffer tank 62 a. In order to avoid duplicatedexplanation, the like constituents of the fuel cell vehicle 210 of thethird embodiment to those of the fuel cell vehicle 10 of the firstembodiment are expressed by the like numerals and are omitted from theillustration and the detailed description.

In the fuel cell vehicle 210 of the third embodiment, the water outlet264 connected to the buffer tank 62 a by a conduit pipe 263 is attachedto a lower arm 282 by means of an air dam 283. The lower arm 282 worksas an under-spring member of a suspension device for the front wheel onthe side of the driver's seat. FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view,taken on a line A-A of FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectionalview, taken on a line B-B of FIG. 8. As illustrated, the air dam 283 hasan arch-shaped member 284 extended to the joint with the lower arm 282and a lower semicircular member 285. The arch-shaped member 284 has aquasi semicircular cross section and an extended joint portion 284 a.The water outlet 264 is located in the extended joint portion 284 a ofthe arch-shaped member 284. The extended joint portion 284 a of thearch-shaped member 284 is attached to the lower arm 282. The arch-shapedmember 284 also has a chamfered portion 284 b formed on the front sideof the vehicle (on the left side in the illustration of FIG. 9) tochange the direction of the wind from the front of the vehicle (vehiclewind) to obliquely downward. The lower semicircular member 285 of theair dam 283 is arranged in front of the water outlet 264 to prevent thewind from the front of the vehicle (vehicle wind) from directly hittingagainst the water immediately after the release from the water outlet264.

Water is released from the water outlet 264 in the following manner inthe fuel cell vehicle 210 of the third embodiment constructed asdiscussed above. The water released from the water outlet 264 during arun of the vehicle is surrounded by the semicircular member 285 of theair dam 283 and is thus not affected by the vehicle wind until thereleased water reaches the lower end of the semicircular member 285. Thereleased water thus falls immediately beneath the vehicle in thevertical direction. The released water falling beyond the lower end ofthe semicircular member 285 is naturally affected by the vehicle wind.The presence of the chamfered portion 284 b of the air dam 283, however,changes the direction of the vehicle wind to have the verticallydownward component at the position directly affecting the waterimmediate after the release from the water outlet 264, as shown in FIG.9. The vertically downward force accordingly acts on the released water.This accelerates the fall of the released water and makes the releasedwater promptly reach the road surface. The water outlet 264 is attachedto the lower arm 282 functioning as the under-spring member of thesuspension device, which vertically moves up and down with the wheels onthe uneven road surface. This also makes the water released from thewater outlet 264 promptly reach the road surface.

As described above, in the fuel cell vehicle 210 of the thirdembodiment, the attachment of the water outlet 264 to the lower arm 282working as the under-spring member of the suspension device, whichvertically moves up and down with the wheels on the uneven road surface,enables the water released from the water outlet 264 to promptly reachthe road surface. This arrangement desirably prevents the water releasedfrom the vehicle from being swirled on the vehicle wind before reachingthe road surface. The structure of the air dam 283 effectively restrainsthe direct effects of the vehicle wind on the water immediately afterthe release from the water outlet 264, thus making the released waterpromptly reach the road surface. The air dam 283 is designed, such thatthe released water falling beyond the lower end of the semicircularmember 285 of the air dam 283 is affected by the direction-changedvehicle wind having the vertically downward component. This structuredesirably shortens the time required for the fall of water to the roadsurface and thus prevents the water released from the vehicle from beingswirled on the vehicle wind before reaching the road surface. Thearrangement of this embodiment prevents potential troubles such that thereleased water is scattered on other vehicles running on the side andbehind.

The fuel cell vehicle 210 of the third embodiment has the chamferedportion 284 b that changes the direction of the vehicle wind to have thevertically downward direction at the position directly affecting thewater immediately after the release from the water outlet 264. Onepossible modification may not form the chamfered portion 284 b and maythus not change the direction of the vehicle wind to have the verticallydownward component at the position directly affecting the waterimmediately after the release from the water outlet 264.

The fuel cell vehicle 210 of the third embodiment has the air dam 283 toprotect the water immediately after the release from the water outlet264 from the potential effects of the vehicle wind. The air dam 283 may,however, be omitted if not necessary.

In the fuel cell vehicle 210 of the third embodiment, the water outlet264 is attached to the lower arm 282 that works as the under-springmember of the suspension device for the front wheel on the side of thedriver's seat. The water outlet 264 may alternatively be attached to alower arm working as the under-spring member of a suspension device forthe rear wheel on the side of the driver's seat or to a lower armworking as the under-spring member of a suspension device for the frontwheel or the rear wheel on the front passenger's seat. There may bemultiple water outlets 264 respectively attached to the lower arm 282 asthe under-spring member of the suspension device for the front wheel onthe side of the driver's seat and to the lower arm as the under-springmember of the suspension device for the front wheel on the side of thefront passenger's seat.

D. Fourth Embodiment

A fuel cell vehicle 310 in a fourth embodiment of the invention isdiscussed below. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a plane layout ofdevices mounted on the fuel cell vehicle 310 of the fourth embodiment.FIG. 12 is a side view showing the location of a gas-liquid separator348 in the fuel cell vehicle 310 of the fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is asystem diagram schematically showing the configuration of a fuel cellsystem 320 that includes the fuel cell stack 22 and is mounted on thefuel cell vehicle 310 of the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, thefuel cell system 320 mounted on the fuel cell vehicle 310 of the fourthembodiment has similar configuration to that of the fuel cell system 20mounted on the fuel cell vehicle 10 of the first embodiment, except thedifferent exhaust process adopted in the air supply discharge system 40and the intake of the air for dilution to the dilution unit 61. In orderto avoid duplicated explanation, the like constituents of the fuel cellsystem 320 mounted on the fuel cell vehicle 310 of the fourth embodimentto those of the fuel cell system 20 mounted on the fuel cell vehicle 10of the first embodiment are expressed by the like numerals and areomitted from the detailed description. The like constituents of the fuelcell vehicle 310 of the fourth embodiment other than the fuel cellsystem 320 to those of the fuel cell vehicle 10 of the first embodimentare also expressed by the like numerals.

In the fuel cell system 320 mounted on the fuel cell vehicle 310 of thefourth embodiment, the exhaust gas containing water, which is producedthrough the power generation in the fuel cell stack 22, in the form ofsteam is introduced to the humidifier 46 to humidify the air that ispressurized by the air compressor 44 and is fed to the fuel cell stack22 via the air supply conduit 42, as shown in FIG. 13. Thesteam-containing exhaust gas then flows through an exhaust conduit 347to the gas-liquid separator 348 located in the vicinity of the rearwheel on the side of the driver's seat as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. Thesteam-containing exhaust gas goes through gas liquid separation in thegas-liquid separator 348 and is released to the atmosphere via a bentdischarge pipe 349.

FIG. 14 shows the structure of the gas-liquid separator 348 and the bentdischarge pipe 349. The gas-liquid separator 348 is designed in a ribbonshape and has a twisted inner member to spirally swirl the exhaust gasflowing through the exhaust conduit 347. The spiral revolution of theexhaust gas causes the centrifugal force to act on the water dropletscontained in the exhaust gas. The centrifugal force accumulates thewater droplets on the wall surface of the gas-liquid separator 348 toeffect the gas liquid separation. The gas separated by the gas-liquidseparator 348 accordingly contains steam and very small liquid waterdroplets. The bent discharge pipe 349 is linearly extended from thejoint with the gas-liquid separator 348 and is then bent downward in thevertical direction. The free end of the bent discharge pipe 349 is cutsubstantially parallel to the road surface to form an exhaust outlet 349a. The exhaust outlet 349 a of the bent discharge pipe 349 is locatedbehind the rear wheel on the side of the driver's seat as shown in FIGS.11 and 12 to reduce the potential effects of the vehicle wind on thewater released from the exhaust outlet 349 a.

Water is released in the following manner from the fuel cell vehicle 310of the fourth embodiment constructed as discussed above. Water containedin the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust conduit 347 to thegas-liquid separator 348 is accumulated on the wall surface of thegas-liquid separator 348 by the function of centrifugal separation andmoves rearward with the flow of the exhaust gas along the wall surfaceof the bent discharge pipe 349. The surface tension of water and theflow of the exhaust gas accumulate the water droplets at the backmostend of the exhaust outlet 349 a and cause the accumulated water to bereleased from the backmost end of the exhaust outlet 349 a toward theroad surface. The gas separated by the gas-liquid separator 348 isdischarged from the practically whole area of the exhaust outlet 349 ain substantially the same direction as that of the water released fromthe backmost end of the exhaust outlet 349 a. The exhaust outlet 349 ais located behind the rear wheel on the side of the driver's seat toreduce the potential effects of the vehicle wind on the released wateras mentioned above. But the released water is not completely free fromthe potential effects of the vehicle wind. FIG. 15 shows the vehiclewind relative to the water and the exhaust gas released from the exhaustoutlet 349 a. As illustrated, the exhaust gas discharged from thepractically whole area of the exhaust outlet 349 a works as the aircurtain to protect the water released from the backmost end of theexhaust outlet 349 a from the vehicle wind. This arrangement effectivelyprevents the water released from the exhaust outlet 349 a from beingswirled on the vehicle wind. The air curtain of the exhaust gasrestricts the motions of the released water by the vehicle wind.

As described above, the fuel cell vehicle 310 of the fourth embodimenthas the gas-liquid separator 348 that utilizes the function ofcentrifugal separation to effect gas liquid separation, and the bentdischarge pipe 349 that is bent downward in the vertical direction andhas the exhaust outlet 349 a arranged substantially parallel to the roadsurface. The water separated by the gas-liquid separator 348 is releasedfrom the backmost end of the exhaust outlet 349 a, whereas the exhaustgas separated by the gas-liquid separator 348 is discharged from thepractically whole area of the exhaust outlet 349 a. The dischargedexhaust gas functions as the air curtain to protect the released waterfrom the vehicle wind and thus effectively restrains the released waterfrom being swirled on the vehicle wind. The exhaust outlet 349 a islocated behind the rear wheel on the side of the driver's seat havingthe less potential effects of the vehicle wind. This further effectivelyprevents the water released from the backmost end of the exhaust outlet349 a from being swirled on the vehicle wind. The arrangement of thisembodiment prevents potential troubles such that the released water isscattered on other vehicles running on the side and behind.

The fuel cell vehicle 310 of the fourth embodiment uses the bentdischarge pipe 349 that is bent downward in the vertical direction andhas the exhaust outlet 349 a arranged substantially parallel to the roadsurface. This bent discharge pipe 349 may be replaced by an extension ofthe exhaust conduit 347, which is not bent downward in the verticaldirection but leads the water and the exhaust gas substantiallyhorizontally from the gas-liquid separator 348 to the rear portion ofthe rear wheel on the side of the driver's seat and has an exhaustoutlet located in the vicinity of a closed end of the extension to beopen downward. In this modified structure, the water separated by thegas-liquid separator 348 moves rearward with the flow of the exhaust gasalong the wall surface of the extension of the exhaust conduit 347 andis released from the backmost end of the downward exhaust outlet. Theclosed end of the extension causes the exhaust gas discharged from theexhaust outlet to have the vertically downward component. This modifiedstructure thus exerts the similar effects to those of the fuel cellvehicle 310 of the fourth embodiment. The exhaust outlet may be formedimmediately beneath the closed end of the extension or at a positionslightly apart from the closed end.

In the fuel cell vehicle 310 of the fourth embodiment, the bentdischarge pipe 349 is designed such that the water separated by thegas-liquid separator 348 is released with the flow of the exhaust gasfrom the backmost end of the exhaust outlet 349 a, while the exhaust gasseparated by the gas-liquid separator 348 is discharged from thepractically whole area of the exhaust outlet 349 a. The requirement isthat the exhaust gas is discharged to protect the released water fromthe vehicle wind as shown in FIG. 15. For example, in a modifiedstructure of FIG. 16, the exhaust gas and the water separated by agas-liquid separator 348B separately flow through an exhaust gas conduit349B and through a water release conduit 349 b. The exhaust gas conduit349B and the water release conduit 349 b are arranged to locate theoutlet of the water release conduit 349 b for release of water behindthe outlet of the exhaust gas conduit 349B for discharge of the exhaustgas in the moving direction of the vehicle. It is preferable that thedirection of the water release is substantially the same as thedirection of the discharge of the exhaust gas. The gas flow protectingthe released water from the vehicle wind is not restricted to theexhaust gas from the fuel cell stack 22, but the flow of the air may beused to protect the released water from the vehicle wind. For example,as shown in a modified structure of FIG. 17, the air outlet of an airduct 350 that guides the flow of the air from the front of the vehicleis arranged ahead of the outlet of a water release conduit 349 c forrelease of the water separated by a gas-liquid separator 348C.

The flow of the exhaust gas or the air is used to protect the water,which is separated by the gas-liquid separator 348 and is released fromthe outlet, from the vehicle wind. As shown in FIG. 18, the exhaust gasor the air may be discharged or led to surround the released waterdroplets. For example, in a modified structure of FIG. 19, the exhaustgas and the water separated by a gas-liquid separator 348D separatelyflow through an exhaust gas conduit 349D and through a water releaseconduit 349 d. The exhaust gas conduit 349D and the water releaseconduit 349 d are arranged to locate the outlet of the water releaseconduit 349 d for release of water on the center of the outlet of theexhaust gas conduit 349D for discharge of the exhaust gas. As anotherexample, in a modified structure of FIG. 20, a water release conduit 349e and an air duct 350E are arranged to locate the outlet of the waterrelease conduit 349 e for release of the water separated by a gas-liquidseparator 348E on the center of the outlet of the air duct 350E forguiding the flow of the air from the front of the vehicle. As stillanother example, in a modified structure of FIG. 21, a water releaseconduit 349 f, an exhaust gas conduit 349F, and an air duct 350F arearranged to locate the outlet of the water release conduit 349 f forrelease of the water separated by a gas-liquid separator 348F on thecenter of the outlet of the exhaust gas conduit 349F for discharge ofthe exhaust gas separated by the gas-liquid separator 348F and to locatethe outlet of the exhaust gas conduit 349F on the center of the outletof the air duct 350F for guiding the flow of the air from the front ofthe vehicle. In this structure, the water separated by the gas-liquidseparator 348F and is released from the outlet is protected from thevehicle wind by the dual air-curtain of the exhaust gas and the air asshown in FIG. 22. This arrangement effectively prevents even the verysmall liquid water droplets contained in the exhaust gas from beingswirled on the vehicle wind.

As mentioned above, the requirement is to protect the water, which isseparated by the gas-liquid separator 348 and is released from theoutlet, from the vehicle wind. A gas other than the exhaust gasseparated by the gas-liquid separator 348 or the air may alternativelybe used to protect the released water from the vehicle wind. In a fuelcell vehicle 310G of a modified example shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, aradiator 356 for cooling down the fuel cell stack 22 is located belowthe floor of the vehicle to make the wind produced by a fan of theradiator 356 face vertically downward. The outlet of a water pipe 349 gfor release of the water separated by a gas-liquid separator 348G islocated on the center of the wind produced by the fan of the radiator356. The wind produced by the fan of the radiator 356 effectivelyprotects the water, which is separated by the gas-liquid separator 348Gand is released from the outlet of the water pipe 349 g, from thevehicle wind. In the structure of this modified example, the exhaust gasseparated by the gas-liquid separator 348G flows through an exhaust gasconduit 349G and is discharged from the backside of the vehicle.

As mentioned above, the flow of the exhaust gas or the air is used toprotect the water, which is separated by the gas-liquid separator 348and is released from the outlet, from the vehicle wind. The outlet ofthe exhaust gas or the air may not have a circular cross section but mayhave a cross section in any suitable shape.

In the fuel cell vehicle 310 of the fourth embodiment, the exhaust gasfrom the humidifier 46 goes through gas liquid separation in thegas-liquid separator 348, and the separated water and exhaust gas arereleased backward the rear wheel on the side of the driver's seat. Theposition of the release of the separated water and exhaust gas is notrestricted to the backward of the rear wheel on the side of the driver'sseat. The separated water and exhaust gas may be released from anysuitable position, for example, the forward of the rear wheel on theside of the driver's seat, the backward or forward of the rear wheel onthe side of the front passenger's seat, the backward or forward of thefront wheel on the side of the driver's seat or on the side of the frontpassenger's seat, or the backward or forward of the center of thevehicle.

In the fuel cell vehicle 310 of the fourth embodiment, the exhaust gasfrom the humidifier 46 goes through gas liquid separation in thegas-liquid separator 348, and the separated exhaust gas is discharged toprotect the separated and released water from the vehicle wind. Onemodified structure omits the gas-liquid separator 348 to directlyrelease the water-containing exhaust gas from the humidifier 46, whileregulating the air flow to protect the water-containing exhaust gas fromthe vehicle wind. For example, in a modified structure of FIG. 25, anexhaust conduit 347H and an air duct 350H are arranged to locate theoutlet of the exhaust conduit 347H for discharge of the water-containingexhaust gas from the humidifier 46 on the center of the air duct 350Hfor guiding the flow of the air from the front of the vehicle. In thismodified structure, the surrounding air protects the water-containingexhaust gas from the vehicle wind.

E. Fifth Embodiment

A fuel cell vehicle 410 in a fifth embodiment of the invention isdiscussed below. FIG. 27 is a plan view showing a plane layout of therelease system of the air supply discharge system 40 in the fuel cellvehicle 410 of the fifth embodiment. The fuel cell vehicle 410 of thefifth embodiment has similar structure to that of the fuel cell vehicle310 of the fourth embodiment, except the different exhaust process inthe air supply discharge system 40. In order to avoid duplicatedexplanation, the like constituents of the fuel cell vehicle 410 of thefifth embodiment to those of the fuel cell vehicle 310 of the fourthembodiment are expressed by the like numerals and are omitted from thedetailed description.

Like the fuel cell system 320 mounted on the fuel cell vehicle 310 ofthe fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 13, in a fuel cell system mounted onthe fuel cell vehicle 410 of the fifth embodiment, the exhaust gascontaining water, which is produced through the power generation in thefuel cell stack 22, in the form of steam is introduced to the humidifier46 to humidify the air that is pressurized by the air compressor 44 andis fed to the fuel cell stack 22 via the air supply conduit 42. Thesteam-containing exhaust gas then flows trough an exhaust conduit 447 tothe vicinity of the rear wheel on the side of the driver's seat, and isreleased from a release conduit 450 to the atmosphere.

FIG. 28 shows the structure and the functions of the release conduit450. The top drawing of FIG. 28 is a top view of the release conduit450, the center drawing is a side sectional view of the release conduit450, and the bottom drawing shows the vehicle wind relative to the waterreleased from a lower pipe 452 and the exhaust gas released from anupper pipe 454. As illustrated, the release conduit 450 has the lowerpipe 452 that is bent downward from the exhaust conduit 447 to releasethe water and the exhaust gas obliquely back-downward, and the upperpipe 454 that is branched off the upper wall of the lower pipe 452, isbent to be parallel to the lower pipe 452, and has a gradually-expandedopening area to emit the exhaust gas obliquely back-downward.

Water is released in the following manner from the fuel cell vehicle 410of the fifth embodiment constructed as discussed above. The exhaust gasflowing from the humidifier 46 through the exhaust conduit 447 partlygoes through gas liquid separation in the exhaust conduit 447. Theseparated water runs with the flow of the exhaust gas along the bottomof the exhaust conduit 447 to the release conduit 450 and is releasedfrom the lower pipe 452 of the release conduit 450. The separatedexhaust gas flows through the exhaust conduit 447 and is divided in therelease conduit 450 to be released from the lower pipe 452 and from theupper pipe 454. Namely the separated water is mostly released from thelower pipe 452, while the separated exhaust gas is released from boththe lower pipe 452 and the upper pipe 454. Here it is assumed that waterdroplets are discharged from beneath the floor on the rear portion ofthe vehicle during a run. The water droplets immediately after thedischarge are partly swirled on the vehicle wind, while the residualwater droplets reach the road surface. Part of the water dropletsreaching the road surface are splashed against the road surface and aremostly swirled on the vehicle wind. In the fuel cell vehicle 410 of thefifth embodiment, however, the flow of the exhaust gas is released fromthe upper pipe 454 of the release conduit 450 to form the wide aircurtain behind the water released from the lower pipe 452. The aircurtain of the exhaust gas effectively reduces the potential effects ofthe vehicle wind on the falling water, and restrains the water splashagainst the road surface from being swirled on the vehicle wind. Namelythe air curtain of the exhaust gas restricts the motions of the waterdroplets reaching the road surface.

As described above, the fuel cell vehicle 410 of the fifth embodimenthas the release conduit 450, which includes the lower pipe 452 that isbent downward to release the water and the exhaust gas obliquelyback-downward, and the upper pipe 454 that is branched off the upperwall of the lower pipe 452, is bent to be parallel to the lower pipe452, and has the gradually-expanded opening area to emit the exhaust gasobliquely back-downward. This structure releases water from the lowerpipe 452 of the release conduit 450, while emitting the exhaust gas fromthe upper pipe 454 to form the wide air curtain behind the releasedwater. The air curtain of the exhaust gas desirably reduces thepotential effects of the vehicle wind on the falling water, andrestrains the water splash against the road surface from being swirledon the vehicle wind. The arrangement of this embodiment preventspotential troubles such that the released water is scattered on othervehicles running on the side and behind.

In the fuel cell vehicle 410 of the fifth embodiment, the releaseconduit 450 has the lower pipe 452 and the upper pipe 454 to form thewide air curtain of the exhaust gas behind the released water. A gasother than the exhaust gas, for example, the air may be used to form theair curtain behind the released water. For example, a modified structureof FIG. 29 has a release conduit 450B extended from the exhaust conduit447 and an air duct 460 arranged behind the release conduit 450B to formthe wide air curtain of the air flow guided from the front of thevehicle.

In the fuel cell vehicle 410 of the fifth embodiment, the exhaust gasfrom the humidifier 46 is not introduced to a gas-liquid separator butflows through the exhaust conduit 447 to the release conduit 450 to bereleased to the atmosphere. The exhaust gas from the humidifier 46 mayalternatively go through gas liquid separation in a gas liquidseparator, prior to release to the atmosphere. For example, one modifiedstructure of FIG. 30 includes a gas-liquid separator 448C attached tothe exhaust conduit 447, a water release conduit 456 for release of thewater separated by the gas-liquid separator 448C, and an exhaust gasconduit 458 located behind the outlet of the water release conduit 456for discharge of the exhaust gas separated by the gas-liquid separator448C to form the wide air curtain of the exhaust gas. Another modifiedstructure of FIG. 31 includes a gas-liquid separator 448D attached tothe exhaust conduit 447, the water release conduit 456 for release ofthe water separated by the gas-liquid separator 448D, and an air duct460 located behind the outlet of the water release conduit 456 to formthe wide air curtain of the air flow guided from the front of thevehicle.

In the fuel cell vehicle 410 of the fifth embodiment, the wide aircurtain is formed behind the released water. The air curtain may beformed at any suitable location other than the backward of the releasedwater, as long as the air curtain can reduce the potential effects ofthe vehicle wind on the released water and restrain the water splashagainst the road surface from being swirled on the vehicle wind. Forexample, in a modified example of FIG. 32, the air curtain is formedinside the outlet of the exhaust conduit 447 in the vehicle. In anothermodified example of FIG. 33, the air curtain is formed outside theoutlet of the exhaust conduit 447 in the vehicle. In any structure, theair curtain may be formed by the flow of the exhaust gas or by the airflow. The location of the air curtain is required to be in the vicinityof the released water. The air curtain may be formed to surround thereleased water, for example, behind and on one side or both sides of thereleased water.

In the fuel cell vehicle 410 of the fifth embodiment, the exhaust gasfrom the air supply discharge system 40 flows through the exhaustconduit 447 to the release conduit 450, which is located in the vicinityof the rear wheel on the side of the driver's seat, and is dischargedfrom the release conduit 450 to the atmosphere. The exhaust gas from theair supply discharge system 40 may alternatively be discharged from thevicinity of the rear wheel on the side of the front passenger' seat orfrom the rear center of the vehicle.

F. Sixth Embodiment

A fuel cell vehicle 510 in a sixth embodiment of the invention isdiscussed below. FIG. 34 is a plan view showing a plane layout ofdevices mounted on the fuel cell vehicle 510 of the sixth embodiment.FIG. 35 is a side view showing a layout of an exhaust system in the fuelcell vehicle 510 of the sixth embodiment. FIG. 36 is a system diagramschematically showing the configuration of a fuel cell system 520 thatincludes the fuel cell stack 22 and is mounted on the fuel cell vehicle510 of the sixth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 36, the fuel cell system520 mounted on the fuel cell vehicle 510 of the sixth embodiment hassimilar configuration to that of the fuel cell system 320 mounted on thefuel cell vehicle 310 of the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 13, exceptthe different exhaust process adopted in the air supply discharge system40. In order to avoid duplicated explanation, the like constituents ofthe fuel cell system 520 mounted on the fuel cell vehicle 510 of thesixth embodiment to those of the fuel cell system 320 mounted on thefuel cell vehicle 310 of the fourth embodiment are expressed by the likenumerals and are omitted from the detailed description. The likeconstituents of the fuel cell vehicle 510 of the sixth embodiment otherthan the fuel cell system 520 to those of the fuel cell vehicle 310 ofthe fourth embodiment are also expressed by the like numerals.

In the fuel cell system 520 mounted on the fuel cell vehicle 510 of thesixth embodiment, the exhaust gas containing water, which is producedthrough the power generation in the fuel cell stack 22, in the form ofsteam is introduced to the humidifier 46 to humidify the air that ispressurized by the air compressor 44 and is fed to the fuel cell stack22 via the air supply conduit 42, as shown in FIG. 36. Thesteam-containing exhaust gas then flows through an exhaust conduit 547to a release mechanism 550 located in the vicinity of the rear wheel onthe side of the driver's seat, and is released from the releasemechanism 550 to the atmosphere, as shown in FIGS. 34 and 35.

FIG. 37 shows the structure of the release mechanism 550 and the processof emitting the exhaust gas. FIG. 37( a) shows the process of emittingthe exhaust gas in the case of a low flow rate of the exhaust gas fromthe fuel cell stack 22. FIG. 37( b) shows the process of emitting theexhaust gas in the case of a high flow rate of the exhaust gas from thefuel cell stack 22. The release mechanism 550 includes a stationary pipe551 that has a cut end at an angle of approximately 45 degrees and isarranged in a substantially horizontal orientation to connect with theexhaust conduit 547, and a short movable pipe 552 that has a joint cutend at an angle of approximately 45 degrees for linkage with thestationary pipe 551. The edge of the cut end of the stationary pipe 551and the edge of the cut end of the movable pipe 552 are linked togetherin a pivotally rotatable manner by means of a hinge 553. The movablepipe 552 is pivotally rotatable about the hinge 553 by the dischargeforce of the gas from the stationary pipe 551. With an increase in gasflow rate from the stationary pipe 551 to enhance the discharge force ofthe gas, the gas release direction of the movable pipe 552 changes fromthe vertically downward direction to the horizontal direction. Themovable range of the movable pipe 552 has the lateral directionalcomponent and the backward directional component of the vehicle asclearly shown in the layout of FIG. 34.

The exhaust gas and the water produced by the fuel cell stack 22 arereleased in the following manner from the fuel cell vehicle 510 of thesixth embodiment constructed as discussed above. The exhaust gascontaining water produced by the fuel cell stack 22 is introduced to thehumidifier 46 to humidify the air pressurized by the air compressor 44,flows through the exhaust conduit 547, and is eventually discharged fromthe release mechanism 550. The high loading of the fuel cell stack 22increases the quantity of water discharged from the fuel cell stack 22and the flow rate of the exhaust gas. Under the low loading condition ofthe fuel cell stack 22, the low flow rate of the exhaust gas sets themovable pipe 552 vertically downward to release the water together withthe exhaust gas vertically downward. Under the high loading condition ofthe fuel cell stack 22, on the other hand, the high flow rate of theexhaust gas sets the movable pipe 552 horizontally and obliquelybackward the vehicle to release the water together with the exhaust gashorizontally and obliquely backward the vehicle. The high loading stateof the fuel cell stack 22 means consumption of large energy to drive thevehicle and includes, for example, the state of driving the vehicle at arelatively high speed and the state of accelerating the vehicle with arelatively large acceleration. The low loading state of the fuel cellstack 22 means consumption of small energy to drive the vehicle andincludes, for example, the stop state of the vehicle, the state ofdriving the vehicle at a relatively low speed, and the state ofdecelerating the vehicle. When the vehicle is at a stop, runs at arelatively low speed, or decelerates, the water produced by the fuelcell stack 22 is released vertically downward. When the vehicle runs ata relatively high speed or accelerates with a large acceleration, thewater produced by the fuel cell stack 22 is released horizontally andobliquely backward the vehicle. This arrangement reduces the potentialeffects of the vehicle wind and thus prevents the released water frombeing swirled on the vehicle wind. This arrangement also lowers therelative speed of the released water to the road surface and thusdesirably restrains splash of water against the road surface. When thevehicle runs at a relatively high speed or accelerates with a largeacceleration, the release of water from the fuel cell stack 22horizontally and obliquely backward the vehicle desirably prevents thereleased water from being swirled on the vehicle wind before reachingthe road surface, and restrains the released water from being splashedagainst the road surface and swirled on the vehicle wind. When thevehicle is at a stop, runs at a relatively low speed, or decelerates, onthe other hand, the release of water from the fuel cell stack 22vertically downward desirably prevents the released water from splashingabout on any pedestrian walking on the road shoulder or any building orconstruction facing the road.

As described above, the fuel cell vehicle 510 of the sixth embodimenthas the release mechanism 550 that releases the exhaust gas and thewater from the fuel cell stack 22 vertically downward in response to thelow flow rate of the exhaust gas from the fuel cell stack 22, whilereleasing the exhaust gas and the water from the fuel cell stack 22horizontally and obliquely backward the vehicle in response to the highflow rate of the exhaust gas from the fuel cell stack 22. Thisarrangement effectively prevents the released water from splashing abouton any pedestrian walking on the road shoulder or any building orconstruction facing the road, and restrains the released water frombeing swirled on the vehicle wind. The release mechanism 550 is locatedbehind the rear wheel on the side of the driver's seat having the lesspotential effects of the vehicle wind. This further effectively preventsthe water released from the release mechanism 550 from being swirled onthe vehicle wind. The arrangement of this embodiment prevents potentialtroubles such that the released water is scattered on other vehiclesrunning on the side and behind.

In the fuel cell vehicle 510 of the sixth embodiment, the releasemechanism 550 has the movable pipe 552 that is attached to the end ofthe stationary pipe 551 in a pivotally rotatable manner. In a releasemechanism 550B of a modified structure shown in FIG. 38, a bellowsflexible pipe 552B is linked to a stationary pipe 551B. A spring 554 isspanned between the stationary pipe 551B and the flexible pipe 552B toapply the tension. The function of the spring 554 makes the opening endof the flexible pipe 552B face vertically downward in response to thelow gas flow rate close to zero, while lifting the flexible pipe 552B upand making the opening end of the flexible pipe 552B face substantiallyhorizontally in response to the high gas flow rate.

In the fuel cell vehicle 510 of the sixth embodiment, the releasemechanism 550 is designed to release the exhaust gas and the water fromthe fuel cell stack 22 in the direction having the lateral directionalcomponent and the backward directional component of the vehicle inresponse to the varying flow rate of the exhaust gas. The releasemechanism 550 may alternatively be designed to release the exhaust gasand the water from the fuel cell stack 22 in the direction having onlythe lateral directional component of the vehicle in response to thevarying flow rate of the exhaust gas. The release mechanism 550 mayotherwise be designed to release the exhaust gas and the water from thefuel cell stack 22 in the direction having only the backward directionalcomponent of the vehicle in response to the varying flow rate of theexhaust gas.

In the fuel cell vehicle 510 of the sixth embodiment, the exhaust gasand the water produced by the fuel cell stack 22 are released backwardthe rear wheel on the side of the driver's seat. The position of therelease of the exhaust gas and the water from the fuel cell stack 22 isnot restricted to the backward of the rear wheel on the side of thedriver's seat. The water and the exhaust gas may be released from anysuitable position, for example, the forward of the rear wheel on theside of the driver's seat, the backward or forward of the rear wheel onthe side of the front passenger's seat, the backward or forward of thefront wheel on the side of the driver's seat or on the side of the frontpassenger's seat, or the backward or forward of the center of thevehicle.

G. Seventh Embodiment

FIG. 39 schematically illustrates the configuration of a vehicle 1010 ina seventh embodiment of the invention. The vehicle 1010 has a stack offuel cells 1020 located in a rear fuel cell chamber 1012 as a powersource and is driven by the power of a motor 1030. The motor 1030 may beany of diverse types of motors but is a synchronous motor in thisembodiment. An inverter 1031 functions to convert direct current outputfrom the stack of fuel cells 1020 into three-phase alternating current.The motor 1030 is driven by the three-phase alternating current. Thepower of the motor 1030 is transmitted to wheels 1033 via a rotatingshaft 1032 to drive the vehicle 1010.

The stack of fuel cells 1020 generates electric power throughelectrochemical reactions of hydrogen with oxygen. The stack of fuelcells 1020 may be any of various types of fuel cells but are polymerelectrolyte fuel cells in this embodiment. A supply of the air is fed tooxygen electrodes or cathodes of the fuel cells 1020 via a supplyconduit 1024. A supply of hydrogen is sequentially fed from multiplehydrogen tanks 1050 located in a roof hydrogen tank chamber 1011 via asupply conduit 1022 to hydrogen electrodes or anodes of the fuel cells1020.

A control unit 1040 controls the operations of the inverter 1031 andother devices mounted on the vehicle 1010. The control unit 1040 isconstructed as a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. Thecontrol unit 1040 controls the operations of the respective devices andthe displays on an instrument panel 1060 located at a driver's seat 1014according to control programs stored in the ROM.

An exhaust system of the cathodes in the fuel cell chamber 1012 is shownin a lower enlarged view. The cathode exhaust from the cathodes of thefuel cells 1020 includes water produced by the electrochemical reactionsfor power generation. The cathode exhaust flows to a gas-liquidseparator 1021 via piping 1024P for separation of liquid water and isdischarged from an exhaust pipe 1025. The separated water passes througha drain 1026 and is accumulated in a buffer tank 1027 located below thevehicle 1010. The water accumulated in the buffer tank 1027 is releasedto the atmosphere via a discharge pipe 1028. The discharge pipe 1028 isarranged ahead of the buffer tank 1027. The bottom face of the buffertank 1027 is inclined from the higher rear end to the lower front endfor smooth release of water from the discharge pipe 1028. A height H ofan opening end of the discharge pipe 1028 from the road surface(hereafter referred to as ‘opening end height’) is set sufficiently lowto prevent the released water from being swirled on and scattered by theair current during a run of the vehicle 1010.

In the structure of this embodiment, the anode exhaust from the anodesdoes not pass through the above exhaust system but is circulated to thesupply conduit 1022 for the effective use of remaining unconsumedhydrogen for power generation. The anode exhaust from the anodes mayalternatively be discharged with the cathode exhaust from the exhaustsystem.

FIG. 40 shows the functions of the buffer tank 1027. The vehicle 1010 isat a stop in FIG. 40( a). In this state, the water accumulated in thebuffer tank 1027 is released out of the vehicle from the discharge pipe1028. While the vehicle 1010 is at a stop, no water is swirled on andscattered by the air current.

The vehicle 1010 is under acceleration in FIG. 40( b). In this state,the water accumulated in the buffer tank 1027 is pressed backward by theforce of inertia ‘A’ caused by acceleration. This makes the watersurface apart from the joint of the discharge pipe 1028 and therebyrestrains the water discharge. The restraint of the water dischargelowers the potential for scatter of the discharged water by the aircurrent produced below the vehicle.

The vehicle 1010 is under deceleration in FIG. 40( c). In this state,the water accumulated in the buffer tank 1027 is pressed forward by theforce of inertia ‘A’ caused by deceleration. This facilitates dischargeof the water from the discharge pipe 1028. The air current producedbelow the vehicle is weakened under deceleration to relatively reducescatter of the discharged water. The opening end height of the dischargepipe 1028 is desirably set to a sufficiently low level that restrainsscatter of the discharged water under deceleration.

As described above, in the vehicle 1010 of the seventh embodiment, thefunctions of the buffer tank 1027 and the discharge pipe 1028 providedin the exhaust system effectively restrain discharge of water underacceleration, while facilitating discharge of water under deceleration.During a general run, the vehicle often repeats acceleration anddeceleration and does not continue running at a fixed cruising speed.The arrangement of facilitating the water discharge under decelerationand restraining the water discharge under acceleration thus reducesscatter of the discharged water during a run to the level that does notinterfere with smooth driving of subsequent and nearby vehicles.

H. Eighth Embodiment

FIG. 41 shows the structure of an exhaust system in an eighth embodimentof the invention. The structure of the eighth embodiment has a dischargepipe 1028A with a lead valve 1028V below the buffer tank 1027. The leadvalve 1028V functions to open and close in response to the ram pressureof the air current during a run of the vehicle, that is, in response tothe pressure holding the air current back.

Lower graphs show the functions of the lead valve 1028V. Waterdischarged from the discharge pipe 1028A is more drastically scatteredwith an increase in vehicle speed to heighten the air current. When thevehicle speed exceeds a specific level Vr, restraint of the scatter ofwater droplets is demanded since there is a possibility of interferencewith smooth driving of subsequent and nearby vehicles. The procedure ofthis embodiment sets a little lower value than the specific level Vr toa design speed Vd for restraining scatter of water droplets.

The ram pressure increases in proportion to the square of the vehiclespeed as shown by a curve P. This curve P gives a ram pressure Pdcorresponding to the design speed Vd. In the structure of thisembodiment, the operating pressure of the lead valve 1028V is regulated,such that the lead valve 1028V opens in response to the ram pressure ofless than the level Pd while closing in response to the ram pressure ofnot less than the level Pd.

In the vehicle of the eighth embodiment, such regulation fully closesthe lead valve 1028V to stop the water discharge when the vehicle speedexceeds the design speed Vd. This arrangement effectively restrainsscatter of the discharged water at a level that may interfere withsmooth driving of subsequent and nearby vehicles.

In the structure of the eighth embodiment, the discharge pipe 1028A islocated below the buffer tank 1027. The discharge pipe 1028A mayalternatively be located ahead of the buffer tank 1027, like thestructure of the seventh embodiment. It is not essential to fully closethe lead valve 1028V when the vehicle speed exceeds the design speed Vd.The mechanism may alternatively reduce the opening of the lead valve1028V continuously or stepwise according to the vehicle speed.

The lead valve 1028V of the eighth embodiment may be replaced by anelectromagnetic valve. This modified structure additionally includes acontrol unit for controlling the operations of the electromagneticvalve. The control unit reduces the opening of the electromagnetic valveor fully closes the electromagnetic valve when the vehicle speed exceedsthe design speed Vd.

FIG. 42 shows the structure of another exhaust system in a modifiedexample. In this modified example, the bottom face of a buffer tank1027A is inclined from a higher front end to a lower rear end by aheight L. Such inclination makes the water accumulated in the buffertank 1027A apart from the discharge pipe 1028 even in the steady stateas shown in FIG. 42( a) and thereby restrains the water discharge. Thisarrangement effectively restrains water discharge during a steady run ofthe vehicle and thus reduces scatter of the discharged water.

While the vehicle is under acceleration, the force of inertia ‘A’functions to restrain the water discharge as shown in FIG. 42( b). Whilethe vehicle is under deceleration, on the other hand, the force ofinertia ‘A’ functions to press the accumulated water forward and therebyfacilitate the water discharge as shown in FIG. 42( c). A run of thevehicle naturally includes a time period of deceleration. The restraintof the water discharge during a steady drive is thus not detrimental tothe water accumulation in the buffer tank 1027A.

FIG. 43 shows the structure of still another exhaust system in anothermodified example. In this modified example, a rigid discharge pipe 1028Bhaving a front opening is attached to the buffer tank 1027. In theillustrated example, a sectional area S0 at the front opening of thedischarge pipe 1028B is greater than a sectional area S1 at the jointwith the buffer tank 1027. The discharge pipe 1028B may otherwise beformed in a cylindrical shape having the identical sectional areas S0and S1.

In the structure of this modified example, the ram pressure is appliedonto the discharge pipe 1028B during a run of the vehicle. The wateraccumulated in the buffer tank 1027 flows forward to be out of thedischarge pipe 1028B. The ram pressure acts to restrain the flow-out. Inthe structure of this modified example, the action of the ram pressureeffectively restrains the water discharge during a run at a high-speed.

Lower graphs show effects of a sectional area ratio S0/S1 on therestraint of the water discharge. It is assumed that the design speed Vdis set by taking into account the lower limit Vr of the vehicle speedthat requires restraint of the water discharge, as discussed above withreference to the structure of the eighth embodiment. A curve P gives aram pressure Pa corresponding to the design speed Vd. For restraint ofthe water discharge, the ram pressure Pa is to be higher than thehydraulic pressure of the water accumulated in the buffer tank 1028 forflow-out from the discharge pipe 1028B. The hydraulic pressure of theaccumulated water varies with the level of the water accumulated in thebuffer tank 1027, but may be set corresponding to the average level ofthe accumulated water under the typical driving conditions. Theprocedure of this embodiment sets a little higher value than thiscorresponding hydraulic pressure to a design value Pd of the rampressure.

The pressure in a pipe generally varies with a variation in sectionalarea of the pipe. For example, setting the sectional area ratio S0/S1 ofthe discharge pipe 1028B to be not less than 1 raises the ram pressureat the joint of the discharge pipe 1028B to be higher than the rampressure at the front opening. In this modified example, the shape ofthe discharge pipe 1028B is determined, based on a sectional area ratioSd corresponding to a pressure ratio Rd (=Pd/Pa), where Pd denotes thedesign value of the ram pressure and Pa denotes the ram pressurecorresponding to the design speed Vd. Regulation of the ram pressurethus effectively restrains the water discharge.

The embodiments discussed above regard automobiles with fuel cellsmounted thereon as the power source. The automobiles may have any ofother diverse power sources including secondary batteries andcapacitors, in addition to the fuel cells. The techniques of theinvention are not restricted to the automobiles with fuel cells mountedthereon, but are also applicable to diversity of ground moving bodiesincluding trains, cars, and various vehicles in addition to automobiles,as well as to diversity of non-ground moving bodies.

The above embodiments are to be considered in all aspects asillustrative and not restrictive. There may be many modifications,changes, and alterations without departing from the scope or spirit ofthe main characteristics of the present invention. All changes withinthe meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are thereforeintended to be embraced therein.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The techniques of the invention are effectively applicable tomanufacturing industries of diverse moving bodies including automobiles.

1. A moving body with fuel cells that are mounted thereon as a power source and generate electric power with production of water as a by-product, said moving body comprising: a water discharge module that releases water produced by the fuel cells from a water outlet to the atmosphere; and an air flow effect control module that reduces the effect of air flow caused by motion of said moving body, on the water that is released from the water outlet.
 2. The moving body in accordance with claim 1, wherein said air flow effect control module generates a gas flow in the neighborhood of the water outlet in substantially the same direction in which the water is released from the water outlet.
 3. The moving body in accordance with claim 1, wherein said air flow effect control module generates a gas flow to substantially block off the air flow that is caused by the motion of said moving body to affect the water released from the water outlet.
 4. The moving body in accordance with claim 2, wherein said air flow effect control module generates the gas flow ahead of a release position of the water in a moving direction of said moving body.
 5. The moving body in accordance with claim 2, wherein said air flow effect control module generates the gas flow behind a release position of the water in a moving direction of said moving body.
 6. The moving body in accordance with claim 2, wherein said air flow effect control module generates the gas flow laterally inward a release position of the water in a moving direction of said moving body.
 7. The moving body in accordance with claim 2, wherein said air flow effect control module generates the gas flow laterally outward a release position of the water in a moving direction of said moving body.
 8. The moving body in accordance with claim 2, wherein said air flow effect control module generates the gas flow in a circular shape around the water.
 9. The moving body in accordance with claim 2, wherein said air flow effect control module generates the gas flow to surround the water.
 10. The moving body in accordance with claim 2, wherein said air flow effect control module generates the gas flow of exhaust gas from said moving body.
 11. The moving body in accordance with claim 10, wherein said air flow effect control module generates the gas flow of exhaust gas from the fuel cells.
 12. The moving body in accordance with claim 10, wherein said air flow effect control module has a fan to generate the gas flow.
 13. The moving body in accordance with claim 12, wherein the fan is a cooling fan to cool down a device mounted on said moving body.
 14. The moving body in accordance with claim 12, wherein the fan is arranged in a lower portion of said moving body to make a flow of the exhaust gas having a vertically downward component.
 15. The moving body in accordance with claim 2, wherein said air flow effect control module regulates the air flow caused by the motion of said moving body to generate the gas flow. 